perry and h



H. B. PERRY AND H. w. CHAMBERS.

REVERSIBLE PONTOON RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1917.

1,306,275. E Patented June 10, 1919.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 14 [12 Fenian;

H B. Perry, H WC/zamlzers.

H. B. PERRY AND H. w. CHAMBERS.

REVERSIBLE PONTOON RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. I91

Pamnted June 10, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H19. Perry, 15. WC/zambem.

ms NORRIS PEYERS can P-07wu1nnj WASHINGTON. l1 C.

TED STATES PATENT orrron HAROLD IB. PERRY HUMPHREY W. CHAMBERS, 0F BARROW-IN-FURNESS,

- i ENGLAND.

REVERSIBLE PONTOON-RAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HAROLD Bnnnnn PERRY and HUMPHRnY WILLrA CHAM- BEES, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Hindpool Saw Mills, Barrow-in- Furness, England, and 7 5 Abbey road, Barrow-in-Furness, England, respectively, have invented new and useful Improvements in Connection with Reversible Pontoon-Rafts; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to reversible pontoon rafts such as are carried upon the decks of ships for use in the ease of shipwreck for saving life, and'which are similarly formed on both sides (top and bottom) so that either side falling uppermost will serve as the deck for the accommodation and support of passengers, and which are provided with storage accommodation, accessible from either deck, for food and other equipment required by the board of trade.

Our invention refers to such rafts of the aforesaid type as are constructed of a num ber of rectangular air tight tanks inclosed in an outer shell or casing, and the said invention has for its object to provide reversible pontoon rafts of this type wherein the construction of the sides and ends of the raft provides a sheathing surrounding the same whereby security against the rupture of, or injury to, the walls of the tanks (hitherto likely to occur) when the raft is launched from the deck of a ship at a considerable height from the water level is insured.

And in order that our invention may be fully understood we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, and figures and letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say Figure l is a plan, partly in section, of a reversible pontoon raft constructed in accordance with this our invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are views in half elevation and half section of the side and the end of the same respectively, certain details being omitted, and

Fig. 4 to an enlarged scale, is a sectional elevation of the outside planking of the side of the raft and one of its supporting ribs.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts wherever occurring.

(2; a are the rectangular air tight tanks of which the raft is constructed, to attain the requisite buoyancy and stability, and these tanks are arranged two, at each end and two at each side of the raft with a space 0 be tween their adjacent ends. All these tanks a a, are of rectangular form in plan view. The central space left between the inner walls of the said tanks at and a when so arranged serves as a hold cl for stores, equipment, &c.hatchways 6 being provided in each deck to permit of access thereto from either in a manner which is understood (see particularly Fig. l). f is a unwale or coaming fitted around each dec the said deck being carried upon transverse beams B and vertical supports A arranged between and around the aforesaid tanks.

Referring now particularly to the means employed in accordance with this invention for stiffening the sides and ends of the raft and thereby rendering the same immune i from in ury from concussion with the water if launched from a considerable height and dropping upon either side or end, we obtain the required strength by constructing the walls of the raft of a wood sheathing g horizontally arranged upon, and attached to, the side and end verticals of the framing which are so shaped as to give an outward taper from the upper and lower edges to the horizontal center line of the raft. To give the necessary strength to the sides vertically arranged iron ribs h, secured at their upper and lower ends to the coamings f formed around the decks of the raft, are placed between the shaped verticals of the sides of the raft. These 'ribs it not only support the sheathin or planking 9 but serve to considerably stiffen and strengthen the whole structure. The sheathing g is, preferably, arranged in three sections horizontally around the raft with horizontal openings or spaces i between the upper and middle sections and the middle and lower sections to form continuous hand holes for the purpose of lifting the raft; and baflle planks j are provided to break the force of the water rushing through the spaces '5 as the raft, when launched, reaches the water, and thereby protect the said tanks from any consequent injury.

The outer faces of the sheathings g are inclined-or tapered outwardly from their upper and lower edges to the horizontalcenter line of the raft to relieve concussion as e raf enters. th Wat r wh n draw ng therein on its side or end.

With a raft constructed as hereinbefore described sufficient stability and fiqtation are obtained to carry the full number of passeng rsthat h a eaef the a t i commodate, together with a full equipment, and with a freeboard of at least 6 inches. I

What we do claim as our invention and desire tosecureby Letters Patent, is v In a reversible pontoon raft, the-combination of a tank=body,a sheathing surrqllnding the sides of thebody and spaced therefrom HAROLD BQ PERRY. cl mates:

Witnesses:

.N, Bmnn' r,

F. BU ROW.

GOPES Of: this patent may. be obtained for five cents each,by addressing the Commissioner of gat t Washingtoml); (3,? v a a 

